1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image input apparatus which can reconfigure a single, high-resolution object image from a plurality of low-resolution, object reduced images obtained by a plurality of micro-lens, wherein a high-resolution image of the object image can be obtained even if the imaging distance is long (infinitely long, for example), and the object image can be realized in colors.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the arrival of the information society accompanying with the development of the media for communication, image input devices such as digital cameras and video cameras for obtaining the image by a single optical system facing the subject, have already been in use as the image reader which allows effectively obtaining various kinds of high-quality image information.
However, in these days, the image reader imitating the compound-eye found in insects has being developed to meet the requirements of the further downsizing and thinning of the image input apparatus. (e.g. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-61109)
The above-mentioned image input apparatus is schematically comprising a micro-lens array having a plurality of micro-lens and planate light detecting elements facing the micro-lens array, wherein a plurality of low-resolution reduced images are focused in the prescribed region on the said light detecting element by the said micro-lens array, and a single object image is reconfigured by signal processing of said reduced object image.
According to the aforesaid mechanism, the image input apparatus, in spite of being small and thin compared with the apparatus comprising a single optical system, realizes bright optical system and even makes obtained (reconfigured) object image (hereinafter referred to as “reconfigured image”) as highly fine.
The image input apparatus comprising the said compound-eye mechanism is characterized by imaging the subject from different viewpoints by having parallax between the said micro-lenses. The above-mentioned character (parallax between the micro-lenses) enables object reduced images, which are focused on the prescribed position on the said light detecting element, to form the different images on each micro-lens (images which include different image information), and as a result, a single reconfigured image obtained by rearranging the said object reduced images can be obtained as a highly fine image (contains more image information).
However, in the conventional image input apparatus, when the distance from the subject is long (infinitely long, for example), the parallax between micro-lenses, which is characterized to the said image input apparatus, disappears, and therefore, the difference between object reduced images also disappears (becomes the same). This creates the problem of remarkable decrease of image resolution compared to the case when taking an image of close subject (when there is a parallax between said micro-lenses).
Moreover, the image information obtained by image input apparatus, is preferably recreated by the real colors (colorizing) of the subject. Consequently, as the technology of colorizing the reconfigured image obtained by the image input apparatus comprising the above-mentioned structure, the arrangement of color filters to every micro-lens was suggested, and has been applied for a patent under Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-363117 by the present applicant. However, the technology for colorizing is not limited to the above-mentioned formula, and it is necessary and expected to develop another formula.
Therefore, the present image input apparatus has been invented considering the foregoing conditions, and the first object of this invention is to provide the image input apparatus which can reconfigure a single reconfigured image from a plurality of low-resolution, object reduced images focused on the prescribed region on the said light detecting elements by the micro-lens array, wherein a high-resolution, single reconfigured image of the subject can be obtained even if the distance between the subject and the said micro-lens array is long (infinitely long, for example).
Furthermore, the second object is to provide the new formula, which can realize the colorizing of the reconfigured image.